> ContextClassLoader problems for the Evictor thread
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> Key: POOL-161
> URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/POOL-161> Project: Commons Pool
> Issue Type: Bug
> Affects Versions: 1.5.4
> Reporter: Sylvain Laurent
> Fix For: 1.6.1, 2.0, 1.5.8
>
> Attachments: TestGenericObjectPoolClassLoader.patch.txt, patch_Evictor_CCL.txt
>
>
> Since a single Timer is used for several GenericObjectPool instances, this may create classloader issues and a memory leak of one classloader :
> Let's imagine the following scenario :
> - commons-pool.jar is in the classpath of a webapp container (e.g. tomcat).
> - 2 webapps A and B are deployed, each creating an instance of GenericObjectPool for its own usage.
> - each webapp makes use of the idle object evictor and sets a positive number for minIdle
> - first, webapp A instantiates its GenericObjectPool. Since this is the first TimerTask to be created, the Timer instance is created, thus creating a Thread whose ContextClassLoader is the current one, that is webapp A's ContextClassLoader.
> The TimerTask properly creates instances of idle objects in the pool, making use of the ObjectFactory provided by A.
> - then B instantiates its GenericObjectPool. A new TimerTask is created, and it tries to invoke the ObjectFactory provided by B. But when it needs a class that only exists in B webapp, it cannot find it because the ContextClassLoader of the Timer Thread is A's classloader.
> Other side effect : if webapp A is undeployed, but B is still running, then A's webappClassLoader cannot be GCed because the Timer Thread keeps a strong reference to A's classloader (as its context classloader).